Rights body decries media freedom violation

MEDIA RIGHTS

By Desire Amanya and Nicholas Wassajja

KAMPALA - The Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) has expressed concern over the recent spate of brutality and holding journalists incommunicado by security agencies.

They said that despite repeated calls for security agencies to respect the rights and freedoms of journalists and desist from holding suspects incommunicado, reports of violations have persisted.

On behalf of the UHRC chairperson, Stephen Basaliza told reporters: "We have seen journalists picked from their workplaces and their whereabouts remaining unknown for long periods of time, in total disregard of constitutional provisions. We are deeply perturbed about subjecting journalists to this kind of violation."

Uganda's law books require that anyone arrested shall not be held for more than 48 hours before being taken to court, and should only be kept in gazetted areas.

Mid-last month, New Vision journalist Charles Etukuri was abducted by unidentified men in front of the New Vision head office in Kampala, to be questioned about his story on the mysterious death of a Finnish national.

Etukuri was reportedly held for seven days at a safe house in Kyengera, a Kampala suburb, only to resurface without any charges being placed.

In similar fashion, Rev. Isaac Bakka of BTN Television in Arua went missing in October last year and resurfaced on February 14 at the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court, where he was charged and remanded to Luzira prison.

Days later, another radio presenter, Richard Kasule alias Kamagu of Top Radio, was brutally arrested by Police and detained at Wandegeya Police Station for two days but also released without charges.

Last week, mainstream and social media was awash with pictures of police officers running after journalists. Bukedde TV's Suleiman Mutebi was pictured being chased by a baton-wielding policeman, in an attempt to block him from covering a disciplinary penal proceeding at the Police headquarters in Naguru, Kampala.

The commission condemned such arrests and brutality against journalists, which they argued threaten media freedoms and expression in the country.

"Whereas we recognise the role of security agencies in keeping law and order and their prerogative to arrest any citizen suspected of committing an offence, we are cognizant of the constitutional provisions that outline circumstances under which persons should be deprived of the right to personal liberty," Basaliza said.

In 2016, the press freedom index launched by the Human Rights Network Journalists in Uganda (HRNJ) ranked Police top among offenders of media freedom. Out of the 135 cases reported, Police accounted for 83 violations.

The commission also condemned the high-handedness with which Police beat up Bukedde TV's Ivan Lubega and vandalised his camera during a fracas to block pupils, parents and teachers of Guardian Primary School in Kimaka, Jinja district from accessing the school premises last month.

"The security agencies should respect rights of journalists and promote media freedoms. They should at all-time respect the rights of suspects under their custody as enshrined in the law," Basaliza said.

Government has also over the years closed some media houses deemed critical of its operations. Although many of them have since been opened, they carry out self-censorship.

In 2015, WBS TV journalist, Andrew Lwanga was brutally beaten, reportedly with electric cables, and permanently crippled by Old Kampala Police boss, Joram Mwesigye.